Henry Hudson

By: Jaden Phelps

Henry Hudson

By: Jaden Phelps

Early life

born in England circa 1565. He spent his career searching for different routes to Asia, but he ended up opening the door to further exploration and settlement of North America. There is little information available about the famous explorer's life prior to his first journey as a ship's commander in 1607. Reports also say that he was married to a woman named Katherine and they had three sons together.

Voyages

Henry Hudson's first 3 voyages were sponsored by the Muscovy Company, who wanted him to find a route to Asia and India. His crew mates had to battle icy conditions, but his journey was not a total loss because he reported seeing whales which opened up ne hunting territory. In 1609, Hudson joined the Dutch East India Company as a commander. He was in Charge of a ship called the Half Moon with the objective of discovering a northern route to Asia by heading north of Russia. Hudson faced icy conditions once again but did not head for home. This time he met some natives and was able to make trades with them.

Last Voyage

Hudson left England in April 1610, as he and his crew set sail across the Atlantic ocean. Traveling south, Hudson ventured into James Bay and discovered that he'd come to a dead end. At this point Henry was at odds with his crew and were low on supplies. They had to spend the winter there. By June 1611 conditions had improved enough for the ship to set sail once again. Shortly after they set sail the crew mates had taken over the ship and decided to cast away Henry, his son, and a few other crew mates. It is believed that Henry and the others died sometime later due to exposure. More European explores and settlers followed Hudson's lead making their way to North America.

Memory

While he never found his way to Asia, Hudson is still widely remembered as a determined early explorer. Today his name can be found all around us on waterways, schools, bridges and even towns.